Trial road closure at Valentine Primary School, Southampton

On the 22ndof June 2018 there was a trail street closure outside of Valentine Primary School in Sholing, Southampton during the school’s starting and finishing times. The aim of this trial was to create a safer and more enjoyable journey to school for parents, staff and students of Valentine Primary School. One of the main objectives was to encourage play and the use of active travel to and from school by creating a safer, more child friendly area around the school by reducing traffic movements around the area. Research is being conducted in the form of questionnaires to assess whether this trial had a significant impact on peoples travel behaviour with regards to road safety and an increase in active travel. If successful, this closure may become a more permanent routine in Sholing which would help to create a more sustainable public space around the area, creating both mental, in terms of an increasing sense of belonging in the community and physical health, with increased levels of activity and an improvement in air quality. Other street trials are planned around the city of Southampton, aiming for a similar effect.